Confessing the Sin of Complaints
If you Confess, He will Forgive
You were born with an outrageous talent. What’s equally amazing is that you’ve never practiced. You are gifted, you might say. You’re an expert, a connoisseur of complaining. Even Christmas can’t stop you! Trust me, you found something to complain about. Don’t believe me? Ask any kid who got dozens of gifts this one question: “What did you want for Christmas that you didn’t get?” In our heart of hearts, we are Scrooges1—every one of us! We’re so good at being discontent that humanity has created an entire profession to handle our grievances—it’s called Customer Service.
We complain so much that customer service has become a global industry. I’m so used to calling overseas help centers that I’m surprised when someone answers with an American accent. Your happiness is their big business. For example, increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost a company’s profits by 25% to 95%. For major corporations, that’s millions—or even billions—of dollars. 😍 = 🤑 (“The Economics of E-Loyalty,” Bain & Company.)
Forbes Magazine recently crunched some numbers and found that these companies are among the best in customer service. #1 is UPS! Really? Sorry, UPS, but I can’t help blaming you for losing my packages. Okay, maybe it was USPS. Your letters are so similar that I forget the difference. Also, I still secretly blame you for the time I mistakenly sent my Amazon order to my parents’ house, which is an entire state away. Why can’t I call the plane and tell them to turn around? Do better next time.
2 Next up is #3 Chick-fil-A. My office once had a huge order from Chick-fil-A, and only 1 of the 20 (exaggeration) sandwiches was wrong. As a kind of prank (that’s how I’m remembering it), we called our friend Mike, who works at Chick-fil-A, to complain. Chick-fil-A let Mike leave work to deliver the corrected sandwich to us! What kind of fast-food company does that? Honestly, I have a hard time complaining about Jesus-Chicken. How about this: You messed up my order and accidentally gave me delicious mac and cheese instead of waffle fries! Thank you!!! 😳 I mean, jerks!
Then there’s #4 REI. Years ago, I bought a day-pack from REI with a lifetime warranty. (No, I don’t hike, but I like to think about hiking.) After nine years, one of the main zippers broke, so I decided to return it to REI. (OH, you didn’t think I’d remember my warranty! New backpack time, suckers!) The girl at the counter informed me that, as of 2023, REI had rescinded its lifetime promise. I hate to admit it, but I really was ticked off. (I was the sucker!) So I said, “So, the lifetime guarantee wasn’t for my lifetime, but maybe it was for the lifespan of a goldfish?” Not my proudest moment, and honestly, not that funny. She was just doing her job—customer service.
Have you ever let loose with an over-the-top complaint? It’s a mixture of pure disgust, volatile resentment, and barely concealed hatred. Have you ever vented? We store up rage like Mount St. Helens preparing to blow. We spew molten-hot outrage—lava words traveling at 1,340 mph—leaving scorched earth in their wake. In those moments, we don’t care about solutions; we’re not listening. Our plan is to inflict the pain hidden in our bones. Deaf are the ears of Venters, despising those who are simply trying to help. We want our hate to be heard, not healed.
Psalm 142:1-2 says: “I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him, I tell my trouble.”3 Beware—venting to the Lord is futile because God isn’t scared of you or your anger. God never runs from us, so we run from Him. And what happens after you vent? You hang up the phone, slam the door, or throw… whatever is nearest to you. You run! But who can rescue those who don’t want to be saved?
Have you ever tried to hug an angry son or daughter? …No kids… Okay, then remember when your parents tried to hug you while you were fuming mad. Arn’t angry children just a little funny? The red-faced kid looks like they just sucked on a lemon. They curl into a ball at the imminent hug. And, at the point of embrace, they let loose a nagging whine that attempts to Jedi force push the parent across the room. But does the parent give up? No! The loving parent hears the Ancient Seaman’s cry in gale-force winds: “Hold fast! Don’t let go!” The angry, spiteful, complaining sinner inside us all attempts to run from the Ancient of Days. We need what we cannot provide ourselves—divine comfort and healing. Our Heavenly Father will never let us go.
Read these verses and turn your complaints into repentance. Philippians 2:14-15 says: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” And James 1:19-20 reminds us: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
If you’re an old sinner like me, let us pray to the Lord who never runs away but holds you until your heart is healed and all things are made new. As is our custom, I invite you to join the other readers in a corporate confession of sin. Then, I’ll ask you to confess your faults freely. Lastly, we will pray for the assurance of forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ.
Prepare your heart and let’s pray…
Father God, You have called us to pour out our complaints and troubles before You, yet we confess that we often lash out in anger, grumble without restraint, and seek satisfaction in worldly solutions. Forgive us for the times we have refused Your comfort, choosing instead to run from Your presence. Teach us to bring our frustrations and burdens to You with humility, trusting in Your steadfast love to hold us fast. Transform our hearts, Lord, so that our grumbling turns to gratitude, and our complaints become cries for mercy. Help us to rest in Your unfailing care, knowing You alone bring peace to our restless souls. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who hears us and holds us forever. Amen.
In silence, continue to confess your sins.
Jesus, You hear our prayers and bring us forgiveness on the cross. Lord, we rejoice in the eternal life You give us, defeating the power of death and making us alive forever with You. We are grateful for Your word in Psalm 34:17-18, which assures us of Your deliverance, saying, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; through faith in Christ, we are saved. Lord, encourage our assurance through our faithfulness to You. And thank You, God, for giving us the Lord’s Prayer, which teaches us how to pray, saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”
Thanks for praying; God bless you! I hope you’ll read and pray with us next Saturday at 10 a.m. If you found this confession meaningful, do me a favor and share this post with a family or friend group via text or on social media. Believe it or not, I can actually see the effects of someone sharing a post, and it makes a huge difference. Thank you!
Ebenezer Scrooge is my favorite literary character! “Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.” — Stave 1: Marley’s Ghost in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)
#2 is USAA. I skipped it. They’re not my insurance provider, but I really think their ads with Gronk are ridiculous. Gronk is a terrible actor, and I can’t stand that USAA has purchased so much airtime during Bowl Games. I get it! I need insurance. I bet I have some. I’ll ask my wife to be sure.
Psalm 142:1-2 shows David crying out to God during a desperate time, likely while hiding in a cave and feeling completely alone. He complains to the Lord, trusting that He hears him and will respond to his cries for mercy and help.
Interesting statistics. Thanks.